News & Press Releases 2010

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said today’s court order from Senior U.S. District Court Judge Roger Vinson underlines that the multistate lawsuit Colorado and more than 20 other states are involved in challenging the federal individual health care mandate is a serious constitutional question ultimately worthy of consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.

DENVER — Attorney General John Suthers announced today that his office has joined and will serve on the executive committee of a multistate effort looking at the integrity of foreclosure processes utilized by mortgage lenders and servicers in Colorado and across the country. The multistate effort will probe allegations that lenders, loan servicers or their agents are submitting thousands of affidavits and other documents without properly verifying the accuracy of representations made in those documents.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers expressed the state’s disappointment today with a non-binding ruling from Arbitrator Martha Pagel that Kansas did not act unreasonably in refusing to approve Colorado’s Compact Compliance Pipeline plan, despite the fact that Nebraska now supports the proposal.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers today issued three reports on Colorado’s 2009 subprime consumer lending activity. The reports cover lenders licensed by the Office of the Attorney General and do not include data on all loans issued in the state. The report contains data on 357 lending companies with 1,076 licensed locations making deferred deposit “payday” loans, small-installment loans and traditional supervised loans.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that Colorado and seven other states will receive $23.7 million from Wells Fargo to settle allegations surrounding deceptive advertising and problematic lending practices of Wachovia and World Savings when offering an option ARM loan known as a “Pick-a-Pay loan.” [1] Wells Fargo acquired both banks in late 2008. Colorado will receive $900,000 under the multistate settlement.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that local law enforcement in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration took back 9,257.8 pounds of prescription controlled substances from Coloradans on Sept. 25 as part of a statewide take-back event.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that Colorado has received $776,510 as part of two settlements with Novartis Pharmaceutical Corporation to settle allegations of off-label marketing.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien, in her capacity as acting governor, has appointed the Office of the Attorney General to oversee the special prosecution of Myrl Serra, the District Attorney for the 7th Judicial District of Colorado.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that Colorado has received $2 million as part an agreement with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals to settle allegations that the company improperly promoted the antipsychotic drug Seroquel. Colorado’s $2 million is part of settlement to resolve three federal whistleblower lawsuits as well as other claims from various states and the federal government. UK-based AstraZeneca will pay a total of $520 million in damages and penalties to compensate Medicaid and other federal programs for harm suffered as a result of its conduct.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that his office has secure an indictment for Gabriel Farias-Chavez (DOB: 3/15/1983) and Ramon Chavez (DOB: 3/5/1980) and the members of a methamphetamine trafficking ring suspected of moving up to 50 pounds worth of the drug per month into the Denver metro area and other parts of the state between March 1, 2010 and July 15, 2010.